Mountain of the Moon (2013) User Reviews

A Must See

[arghya139 · 7/10 · 20 December 2013]

Despite several accusations on the village-minded acting of DEV, it was a right decision to go and watch Chader PAHAR at first day. The movie had a irregular graph of suspense, several ups and downs, still it managed to glue me to my sit for the whole 150 minutes.

Rightly predicted by Kamaleswar Mukherjee, this movie will drag the standards of tollywood to one level up. Beautiful landscapes of South Africa & Mount Kilimanjaro are added flavor to the epic story-line, which has been nostalgia among Bengalis irrespective of age group.

Loved the presence of Gerard Rudolf as Diego Alvarez, boosted the reality in the movie, and I missed the voice of Sabyasachi Chakraborty as a narrator, which had been perfect, considering the fact that jungle is his specialty. Also the background score could be better.

But all in all, a must watch movie to see the hard work Chader Pahar team has put to make this a success. Viva, montanha da lua !

A good movie

[sushobhanbera06 · 7/10 · 20 December 2013]

Ohk...there have been a lot of incitement as well as dilemma around this movie...incitement of the fact that it is based on one of the greatest adventure novels ever written in Bengali literature and dilemma since it is a difficult choice to make between whether to give a try due to the reason mentioned above or to simply ignore because of Dipak Adhikary and we all know why. However, while millions of hearts have chosen to go gaga for the recent YRF release big time, I have dared to watch Chander Pahar and thankfully my expectations have filled more or less up to the brim. Be it the direction or the cinematography or the background score, it has sharp edges which are almost close to purity. Now, it is important to think upon what would your expectations be from the film...when we think of an adventure movie, we may have in mind bits and pieces of Into the wild with a brilliant score by Eddie Vedder or may be Dead Man where in we get to see a brilliant Jack Sparrow.Now if you think of considering a set which is an intersection of these two, then Kamaleswar's Chander Pahar would stand no way close to it, but if you think this Bengali movie as one of the initial chapters in the evolution of Tollywood film industry, then you would be more than thrilled to find yourself experiencing a lively photo-play that Bibhutibhushan Banujje himself would have asked you to dream about...

Good story....bad movie

[sunetra-sen · 5/10 · 4 January 2014]

The story is good and has been around for a long time. However, the way it was adapted for the movie leaves a lot to be desired. An action/adventure movie needs to be fast paced...this one is anything but...

Some of the landscape shots in Africa are nice but most leaves a lot to be desired...the night shots are horrible most of time...the African tribes don't seem authentic...and although I am not an expert on this myself the tribal dance and customs seem a bit unrealistic...

Now for the acting...the lead actor just doesn't know how to act...I have known him to be a successful commercial actor in Bengali movies and am really amazed at the lack of skills....no expression...no dialogue delivery....Some of the other actors were a bit better..however there was no on screen chemistry between them...nor did we see the lead character grow up...

overall the only saving grace is that the movie tries to do something in a genre which is slightly uncommon in Bengali movies...

A Bengali movie - up on cloud nine!

[rhitwick · 7/10 · 22 December 2013]

Waited for this since it was a rumor. Liked the end product.

Theme: Its an adventure movie. 90% of the movie is shot in either wild or desert. Chander Pahar is the story of a young Bengali man's adventures in Africa in the years 1909-1910. Shankar Roy Chowdhury, the protagonist, is a 20-year old man, recently completed his FA(graduation) and about to take up a job in a jute mill, a prospect he absolutely loathes. He yearns for adventure, wild lands, forests and animals. He wants to follow the footsteps of famous explorers like Livingstone, Mungo Park, Marco Polo, all of whom he has read about and idolizes. By a stroke of luck, he secures a job as a clerk in Uganda Railway through a fellow villager already working there and goes to Africa without a second thought.

Character development: The character of Shankar is drawn very well. His transformation from a Bengali village boy to a wanderer is drawn very carefully. Two things made it possible i.e. make-up and Dev's somewhat mature acting.

Direction: The director first gets a nod for daring to make such a movie. Then he again gets a nod to make Dev act. Non-linear narration was used to tell the story. He took artistic liberty to tweak few story points. At times actors took time to react to their environment which should have been taken care of. Man vs. Wild scenes are very well captured and they are a treat to your eyes. The thrill and excitement is very well built and executed. He gets nod for creating few edge-on-the seat action scenes. Still more work should have done Dev's expressions. Why is he smiling in almost all scenes?

Cinematography: This and this only makes all sins made by Dev go away. Beauty of Africa, wild animals, chase scenes are very well executed.Hats off to the DOP Soumik Haldar.

Acting: Dev tries and tries very hard. Till he's accompanied by Alvarez he poses an immature look on his face and casual approach to situations around him. May be its intentional to make his character feel more out-of-place without Alvarez or its his weakness. Still, till Alvarez is alive he at times appears annoying. Gerard Rudolf as Deigo Alavarez did a very commendable job. Very good acting by this gentleman. Kudos to him.

Songs and background score: Only one song and I did not like it. Background score was apt to the mood of the scenes and never overwhelms the scene.

Editing: The dialog parts are too slow for the high paced movie like this. Editing could have been more good. Few unnecessary scenes are kept which can be removed. Specially the scene where Shankar Alvarez gets to meet three Masai tribe members in wild. This is an important part of the book but when pictured this scene does not add any value to the move. One or two more scenes like this could have been edited.

Entertainment value: Apart from the occasional slowness this a very good adventure movie. Full of African wild animals and edge-on-seat thrill. I would recommend this.

Verdict: Tollywood never did an adventure movie. Did not do in India and leave alone Africa. But the director and more-over the producers took the risk to do the impossible. The risks were great. What if it tanks, what if it does not live up to the expectation of people. Making movie from a classic is always a risky business. Still they braved this and we get a very good Christmas present in the form of a movie. Should you watch it? Why not? Most of us had read the book and imagined the locations in our mind. This is a dream-come-true for all of us. The director does not cheat us here. If not 100% but I would say 80% of your thirst would be quenched. Yes Dev hams at the beginning of the movie but later he throws a good acting example. Ask me, I liked what I had seen. A warning, don't expect much as VFX from a movie whose total budget was 15 crore.

A visual treat that epitomizes an iconic adventure tale

[ayanpal1 · 9/10 · 26 December 2013]

Chander Pahar was a movie that made me repent about the following:

1. Why did I not read the book as a kid?

2. Why did I underestimate Dev the actor?

3. Why did I assume Kamaleshwar Mukherjee Movies will be too artsy for comfort?

4. Why did I think a Bengali film made on a budget of 15 crores can never match a Hollywood movie, forget getting close to even a Bollywood one?

I was wrong on all counts and how!

Ever since the movie opened with an eagle soaring through the skies and swooping down on Africa, I was stunned into submission and since then, the first cinematic adaptation of the iconic Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay's 'Mountain of the Moon' / 'Chander Pahar' managed to catch my attention over and over again... with me actually wishing the movie was not over!

Several sequences stood out for their cinematic execution – The desolate station and its nature loving station master Shankar captured against the various hues of the African skies, the roaring lion about to intimidate its prey, the Black Mamba slithering into existence, Shankar crossing over a devilishly deep chasm in a attempt to rescue Alvarez (played aptly by Gerard Rudolph) from a pack of Hyenas and cheetahs, the perilous hikes across the mountains, the desolate desert where you could no longer distinguish between hunter and prey, the excavation of caves of desire and what it was about to yield, and last but not the least the final farewell of a trusted friend. Every single sequence seamlessly added to the overall narrative while managing to retain its individualism.

Be it Dev the actor who grew by leaps and bounds (literally!) as he sprinted into the film with a heart firmly in place, or the director and his brilliantly astounding team – Cinematographer & DOP Soumik Halder, editor Raviranjan Maitra, or for that matter the Art Director, Set Designer, Costume Designer, and Action Director – all of them effectively brought to life the effective and engaging script and screenplay, aided by some haunting background score by Indradeep Dasgupta.

To be honest, the movie was not as perfect as Mackennas Gold, Indiana Jones, or The Life of Pi - far from it! But just as the protagonist Shankar wished to lead a life as adventurous as that of David Livingstone, Mungo Park, and Marko Polo, Shree Venkatesh Films helped ensure that this movie could be counted as an extraordinary successor to the movies listed above for its sheer audacity in bringing to life an extraordinary tale of action adventure from early 19th century Bengal.

In hindsight, the protagonists weren't the best of actors around. But what they lacked in skill, was compensated by a tremendous self belief and determination that showed, and had me rooting for the roles they portrayed.

To borrow a line from the movie itself, 'its better to travel well than to arrive' which is why I can say with pride and certainty that that this is not just the best ever action / adventure / fantasy movie to have come out of Bengal, but also one of the best of its kind to ever be made in India. After a long time, it's time again to say, and hope, that what Bengal things today, India shall think tomorrow. I would rate it an 8 as a film that warrants a repeat viewing and give it an extra star for being the best ever example of its genre from India to close it as a 9/10.

P.S: You will, like me, enjoy the film irrespective of whether or not you have read the book. But then, I am anyway going to after watching the film... What about you?

Missed opportunity

[sesht · 27 December 2013]

Disappointing. What could've been one of the best entries in the genre of adventure cinema, that's not too well populated by movies made in the Indian studios, is marred by sloppy set-up/acting/directing/screenplay/editing, (really, really) shoddy CGI (Desert, Volcano, Bunyip.....) and everyone line-reading to one another. The actor who plays Diego (Gérard Rudolf) rises above the general mediocrity, but the main lead only remembers to stay in character right at the very end (about 15 minutes prior to curtains). The (rather unnecessary) voice-over narration also is a huge diversion, and was the root of plenty of unintentional humor, as was the lead's tendency to keep smiling at some private joke only he was privy to, almost throughout the movie's running time.

+s I can think of - a bold entry in a relatively new genre, noble intentions, lack of musical diversions, Gérard Rudolf's acting, (some of the) cinematography.

A missed chance, a lost opportunity. I do hope it doesn't put filmmakers off adventure fare though.

Another thing - lots of reviewers seem to be showering this with platitudes just for the intention, and are looking past the end product. It's nice to seem/sound encouraging, but I do wish the right talent had the chance to play with such budgets.

Expectations shattered, just like Shankar when he was dying

[arnab-kundu2011 · 7/10 · 22 December 2013]

The story, the original masterpiece of Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay is one of the most iconic thriller/adventure story ever written in Bengali. The story we have all read in our childhood and fantasized ourselves by visualizing ourselves as the protagonist. The essence of the book is upheld by the very popular Radiomirchi enterprise by Mir and others. Have you listened to them? No? Have a go. There are youtube links http://bit.ly/JVZMXf . These are 6 hour of journey taken by you as Shankar and just like the book you feel the story.

Now about the movie. The movie lacked a certain vital component widely known as FEAR. There are frivolous fights with beasts and there are volcanoes but there is nowhere your adrenaline rises. Dev was unfortunately unable to deliver the most salient and emotional moments of the movie. The narrators voice has no change and he just blankly voices the story without ANY emotions. But there are certain factors that were notably well performed. Firstly, Dev has eminently notched up in his performance. The other actors including those playing Alvarez to the Masai tribes to Shankar's mother have added value to the film.

The visual effects were not at all upto the mark and the forests were not all the dark canopy like. But fortunately the director should be applauded for not interrupting the story by frills like songs. Do NOT compare the story with the original one because just like me you would feel betrayed. The story in the movie lacked the beauty and often we see there are big loopholes in the scenes from one another. The animals could be easily identified as photoshoped.

SPOILER NEXT

Ah well. Now elaborating, the movie begin with a boy who knocks off his competitor with just one punch in a Boxing match. He gets a job and reaches Africa with some job unsaid in the story(maybe I didn't hear). He gets a new job as a stationmaster in Uganda Railways. The next night he confronts a dangerous lion and manages to flee like Usain Bolt even after hurting his leg. Later at some night a toothless Black Mumba(most deadly snake in Africa) bites his hand and just flies away. The most baffling thing is that the torchlight had not been illuminating the body of the snake. Anyway, moving on he finds dying Diego Alvarez and nearly just like the book helps him recover. After getting back to his health, he narrates his story about his escapade with Jim Carter in search of hidden treasures. Jim dies at the hand of Bunyip and despaired and frightened Alvarez retreats to civilization.

Later Shankar and Jim sets afoot on the journey to Richtersveld. The journey is quite similar as of the book and thus I am not commenting on this. Henceforth their daring journey in the uneven terrains. One lazy day volcano hits them and this scene was the one of the most disappointing. It took them about 5 or more minutes of Brownian movement at the tie of mortal peril to be informed of some danger approaching and that they have to run away. The eruption ends dramatically very soon. They have lost one tent because of the calamity. They recover from the loss and the scene now changes as the heroic arrival of the villain "Bunyip". Diego dies as a result of this villain. The villain flees.

Shankar now resolves to return back alone. His plight has been shown in a very humorous manner. He finds a cave and enters due to some inexplicable reason. He gets lost there and finally emerges out of there somehow. Now the best scene. Shankar plans a revenge for his companions death. He manages to kill Bunyip somehow. Yes our villain dies. So sad. He reaches Kalahari desert and finds water in the midst of the desert(it wasn't an oasis). Shankar survives and manages to climb a very high mountain. He looses all hope and gets ready to die when one day accidentally he fires his gun. He hears two more shots from the gun and with such an incapacitated body runs all the way from the elevation of hill to its foothills and finds civilization. He wakes up later in a hotel bed and thus the story ends.

Open Questions (1) Why did Shankar used to share his tent with Alvarez when the possessed two?

(2) After the accidental gunshots we hear two gunshots. Then again we hear another one from Shankar. When it had been distinctly mentioned of hearing two gunshots and Shankar having only one bullet, how come we hear another one? (Maybe I have been mistaken but this is what seemed to me)

(3) How can we explain no scars on Shankar after he recovers?

Brutal murder of a beloved book

[arbiteria · 1/10 · 22 December 2013]

Much hyped as the most expensive Bengali film ever made, Chander Pahar (Mountains of the Moon) is based on a Bengali classic by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay. And that's where all comparison ends.

Chander Pahar must be sponsored by Tide, as its Africa is strangely dust-free, where rough-and-tough explorers run around in spotless white shirts. It is co-sponsored by Anti Perspirant deodorant/face cream, since the adventurers never sweat. Luckily, Colgate refused to sponsor, which helped add a little realism through Dev's dirty teeth near the end.

The film is actually a 3-hour episode of a Bengali serial, stretched by shots of Dev running like an ostrich in slow motion.

The editing has made the film safe for heart patients - no variation in pace/narration. It sounds and looks like a soulless, droning Government- sponsored Public Service message.

The awesome Visual Effects Team is the same one that worked on the 1986 Ramayana serial, recreating the "fiery flying arrows" effect in this one.

Best actor: the Bunyip. Most memorable bit: The Disclaimer at the beginning, declaring that "All the animals were shot in South Africa".

Final verdict: If you've ever loved the original book, stay away from this film, it will make your toes curl and blood boil.

Masterpiece

[sarkarsarbartha · 10/10 · 8 September 2020]

Thank you for the experience of Shankar which character was written by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay . Brilliant Crafted by Director kamaleswar Mukherjee . What a screenplay , what a performance . A MUST WATCH . Greatest Film of Indian cinema

Huge disappointment. Way worse than expected.

[bijit69 · 6/10 · 21 December 2013]

Chander Pahar: The Movie

Huge disappointment. Way worse than expected.

The movie started out good with great visuals, direction, cinematography. The first half was somewhat good. Dev was actually pretty good then. VFX wasn't that good, but not bad either.

Then arrived the second half. Oh my god. It was total down slope then onwards. The acting, the dialogues, the direction, everything came crashing down. And then it was actually just another Indian movie hopelessly trying to level with Hollywood.

And the VFX. They were terrible. They used unnecessary VFX, and very poorly executed ones. I mean, why spend 2.5 crores for making scenes which were never even in the book, and make them look horrible? Why couldn't they just show what little was there in the book, and make them look good?

And why did they show Bunyip? It wasn't even there in the book even. If they stuck with the book, we wouldn't have had to see the horrible 3D avatar of Bunyip. The volcano scene, too, was as bad.

And Dev's acting. It started out good, ended kinda good, but the middle part was worse than we expected.

The real winner in this movie was the cinematography. Yes, the teleportation to Africa did happen. And it was amazing.

However, they did put a lot of effort & dedication in the movie, and it showed. It might not turn out to be a modern day classic, but it will definitely be remembered for many years to come. And not just for good reasons.

3/5

One of the Worst Movies Ever made.

[atri-arcruiser-kundu · 1/10 · 30 December 2013]

Chander Pahar, based on the great novel by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay, was a great venture of Tollywood. Indeed, a praise-worthy act. First, let me point out the positive sides- Excellent job done with the camera, POV and Focal Length, all. The set was also very good. But, Chander Pahar is far away from being called a Film. It is like a 148 minutes program on Nat Geo channel- an African Safari. Over use of African landscape spoiled it. Dev as Shankar was a total mess, any other actor would have been better. The film lacked the thrill, and it was hard to continue in the second half. The film might be a great one for Bengali Cinema, yet it needs much advancement in acting, direction and screenplay.

Great Adventure Movie

[rsthemeriaz · 10/10 · 3 October 2019]

Amazing Movie. Dev means a new thing in Bengali Movie. I Loved it.

Full marks for trying!

[rijuthegreat · 7/10 · 30 December 2013]

Chander Pahar is by no means perfect, but it's an excellent effort nevertheless that raises the bar for Bengali films (if it can be called that - considering that more English than Bengali is spoken in the movie). Among the things that stand out are the attention to detail in terms of the period setting, the costumes and the production design, as well as the cinematography including at least a few helicopter cam shots that capture the beauty of Africa in the same way that the opening sequence of the Sound of Music captured the beauty of Austria.

Dev is likable enough as the protagonist Shankar, although it is Gerard Rudolph who shines in the role of his buddy and mentor Alvares (except for the hideously accented Bengali that was hard to follow in some of the scenes). Among the things that work for the movie are the locations, the use of real animals (though an injured Shankar outrunning a lion was somewhat farcical), and the Bunip which is both fantastic and realistic. However, extremely shoddy editing affects the overall pace and flow of the movie and makes it longer by at least half an hour. (Probably a director's cut on DVD and Blu-Ray is in order, in the future.) Also in some scenes such as the volcano, the animation is amateurish to say the least - buying stock footage from Nat Geo for those would have been a cheaper and more effective solution.

The first half of the movie is also weakly directed as compared to the second - it was almost as if the director took time to find his feet. Anyway, I am nit-picking, and this movie does not deserve that. On the whole, it's one of the better ones to come out in recent times, and I do hope that the producers recover their cost so that more such movies get made - this is the most expensive Bengali movie ever, and it shows.

overly rated by half minded bongs !!

[hixanyu · 1/10 · 31 January 2014]

Well, first of all, as it was a Deb starrer movie who is a big star for mostly Telugu dubbed Bengali movies. Neither they(Telugu versions) have taste, nor the dubbings. I can say this because am very fluent in Bengali as well as Telugu(more in Telugu) and in my POV, Deb is just an over-rated actor. and that's the reason, "I didn't expect anything from this movie." I expected a little thinking there are few foreign actors and crew who worked in the film in a foreign place, that might show off something. And i guess, a little good work showed up though.

Since the Beginning to Interval and then to the End, i was always wondering, what's the difference between this movie and Nat Geo's "Man vs Wild". It's just that here Deb sets his journey to search for the treasure with baseless story.

Being a bong, i still say this that, most of the bongs are just like Telugu (most of them)movies audiences who likes to watch bullshit things. you show them whole movie in the foreign and the movie would go hit, as if they get to see some wonderland and praise like, good cinematography, vfx, editing etc. and if you watch this movie in multiplexes, the big screen makes most of the bongs flattered, be it any movie.

In this movie, i don't know what to talk positive about. The whole movie was like a small documentary which includes riding horses, watching animals and walking places. LOL, is this what you call a movie...total bullshit.

As a documentary : i would give 4/5 As a movie : Bullcrap, hardly 1/5 if 1 is the least i can give.

Most of the things cinematography, vfx animations, editing, etc, i found many bullshits again and again. poorly worked.

Junta, please observe this, movie starts with Deb running chased by elephants, end up with hanging upside down, he cuts the rope and fell in a big pit meant for elephants. WHY the f**k is that scene given when it is nowhere connected. And if i had missed something, i would say INOX can't do mistakes like cutting scenes and show incomplete movie to the audience. the actual question is "where is the connection of that scene later in the movie?"

A memorable journey of a single man from death to life

[pinaki-632-769106 · 26 December 2013]

The film brought back the memories of watching Life of Pi. This is a memorable journey of a single man through the wilderness of Africa, from death to life. 90% of the film is very high quality; the quality falling only at two points, the cg depiction of the volcano and the Bunyip monster, which I feel could have been better had the filmmakers got more post production time before release. For the same reason, though there are 5 languages used in the film, it has no subtitles. Overall, the film is a feast of spectacular visuals and stunts. The film has an universal appeal; even a person with no knowledge of Bengali language can watch the film, because there are few dialogs in the entire movie. The film has that element that makes you crave to come back to watch once more.

Mountains certainly, if not the moon !

[avik-kumar-si · 7/10 · 25 December 2013]

Kamaleshwar Mukherjee follows up his masterclass, Meghe Dhaka Tara, with the action-adventure piece, Chander Pahar. While both films are in a way about exploring, breaking new grounds and striving to touch new heights, Meghe Dhaka Tara was about intensity and introspection whereas Chander Pahar's exploration is more physical and geographical in nature.

Meghe Dhaka Tara drew its inspiration from the maverick filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak. Chander Pahar's source material is no less illustrious. The movie is based on the eponymous novel by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay, another of whose work is already immortalised in the form of the bildungsroman Apu trilogy by the legendary Satyajit Ray. Chander Pahar is about Shankar, an adventure-seeking young man from Bengal in British-ruled India, whose thirst for the uncharted leads him to Africa.

Kamaleshwar Mukherjee and his team do a commendable job of breathing life into the adventures of Shankar. In the perspective of Bengali or even Indian cinema, Chander Pahar will score remarkably high on the cinematography and the sequences involving animals. More importantly, on a tougher scale of contemporary world cinema, it does still hold its own, though a few sequences of shoddy special effects ruin the overall experience. It is indeed sad, because having not held back financially and after boasting of some breath-taking scenes involving elephants, lion and dangerous snakes, it is a pity that a few minutes of special effects which are not up to the mark are what will prevent Chander Pahar from being counted as world-class.

The first half is taut with action, with Shankar's story bursting forth and running into one dangerous encounter after another. As the intermission draws with the promise of a riveting mission, one hopes for the action to resume with renewed vigour. When the action does resume, it is the vigour which is found wanting. And this is where Chander Pahar falters – as it fails to better the experience of the first half. The climax, despite the heroics of the protagonist and a vastly improved Dev, fails to end the film on the proverbial high.

Having said that, Chander Pahar remains, notwithstanding its flaws, a superb film with some memorable moments. Dev, in a move of brilliant casting, fits the character to a tee and turns in a splendid performance, coming into his own in the final half hour to hold the film together on his lone broad shoulders. Dev brings to life Shankar perfectly with his spirited interpretation well complemented by his physicality.

The magnitude of this venture has been the talk of the town in the Bengali film industry for some time now. One only hopes that this will be the first of many such grand dreams to see the light of day. Chander Pahar has certainly showed enough promise to encourage more creators and producers in Bengal to dream in scales this large.

Dev's new avatar and Gerard Rudolf's homecoming

[rudrarkabasu91101 · 10/10 · 21 December 2013]

Bengali film Chander Pahar had been creating ripples since its pre release days. As one of the biggest and most ambitious projects of Eastern India, Chander Pahar opened with an overwhelming response from audience and critics alike. Based on Bibhutibhshan Bandopadhyay's famous adventure story set in 1909, the film traces Shankar's journey to find the fabled all the way from Keutia, Bengal to Nakuru station (where Shankar worked as a station master for Uganda Railways), to the treacherous Richtersveld Mountains, through the deadly Kalahari desert finally reaching Salisbury, Rhodesia. Directed by Kamaleswar Mukherjee, the film stars tollywood superstar Dev Adhikari as the protagonist Shankar. Dev, given his appearance and physique slid into the shoes of Shankar perfectly. Coming along way from the Challenge, Paglu & Rangbaaz days, Chander Pahar is a bold move away from his comfort zone. Without a heroine, and being the only actor on screen in much of the later half of the film, Chander Pahar was arguably resting on his shoulders. Dev handled the action scenes perfectly, as he outran elephants & lions, outwitted the black mamba, escaped ravaging volcanoes and fought the plethora of creatures of the African wilderness. The greatest achievement for the actor, is perhaps the fact that he portrays the Shankar's transition as a naive boy from rural Bengal in Africa, in search of adventure to a survivor against all odds. In terms of emotions, Chander Pahar sees a new avatar of Dev altogether. Shankar's love for his family, his friendship with Tirumal Appa & Diego Alvarez and the pain of losing close friends were enacted beautifully by the actor, who once had a reputation for being unable to act. Much of the later half, according to the original story shows only Shankar as he struggles to find his way back to civilization through the Kalahari Desert. Dev brought to life the Shankar's plight, exhausted and near dead out of thirst, hunger and the brutal climate of the Kalahari. The final twenty minutes or so were enough for Dev to make his mark as an ace actor who is both commercially viable and intellectually capable. The supporting cast of Diego Alvarez, who informs Shankar of the existence of Chander Pahar and the untold adventures ahead, was taken up by South African superstar Gerard Rudolf. Hailing from Portuguese Chinsura in Bengal, Diego Alvarez is an explorer traversing through Africa in search of wealth and glory. Gerard Rudolf took on the character in style, speaking a few Bengali phrases here and there with foreign accent. Much of the film was fore-run by the Dev-Rudolf duo as they rode across the African continent on horses, climbed steep mountains and battled the mythical monster Bunyip, all in search of the mountain of the moon.

good for an attempt

[jamesbhond · 7/10 · 28 December 2013]

1.wat I liked about the film...

The cinematography The location shooting Dev's acting at certain points. The adherence to the original script/book. The gripping action scenes The clever use of "point of view".

2.What I didn't like...

Dev and his horrible duologue throwing accent

How initially wen he chased his horse, all I could see was the African grasslands out of his house. . but next morning there was a railway station in front of it Before the lion was in front of him.. his left leg was dead nd he couldn't move.. but he saw the lion and he didn't hobble.. he ran away at full speed might have even run faster than the lion..

After running he massaged his right leg wen his left leg has been injured

How he unnecessarily jumped and shot the lion.. shooting at the sky yet managing to kill the lion

Also i don't know how he managed to shoot a flying eagle miles in the sky with that gun..

How he is unable to talk fr over 30 minutes yet he can sing perfectly at night.

He kept falling over like a drunkard all over the place.

How after every night they would use the same screen-shots of a particular place when obviously they were moving ahead.

How there were NO subtitles fr the Portuguese bits nd the duologue delivery of Alvarez was difficult to comprehend..

How the volcanic eruptions fell all-round them but never at the place they were standing and they did not run away and stood there admiring the eruption...

How he was so weak that he couldn't walk.. he was about to shoot himself but when he realized that someone could save him.. suddenly he starts jumping nd dancing around.

The use of CGI fr the monster was completely over the top came so close to them several times and did not harm them and then without any knowledge of how to hunt he could suddenly built a near perfect trap to capture such a big monster like some reincarnation of god.

These are only a few things over the top of my head. You don't need to be amazing.. but taking care of small details like this can make a movie Note that I didn't criticize his directing. .no.. but I m criticizing the mistakes he made which were a lot.. it takes guts to make a movie like this.. but if you're gonna act like an amateur and make glaring errors.. then you're not gonna be appreciated by everyone.

Thanks

Bad Boring and Disappointing

[Arindam510 · 1/10 · 26 December 2013]

Chader Pahar nice try but epic fail, Jara Bolchy Khub Valo Korechy Tara Cinemar B*l Bojhy.

1. Black Mamba Dekte Dekhe Dev Ghumea Porchy, Original novel E Etai Darun Jaiga, Dev & director Eta Puro Nosto Korechy. 2. Male lion Sudhu Dev Er Pichone Pore Achy, r Dev K Dekhe Gorjon Korchy (Jodio Amra discovery channel Er Soujonne Jani male lion Shikar Kore Na, lion Eka Thake Na, They always stay in groups) & Shikar Er time Jotodur Jani animal Ra Silently attack Kore... Dev k Dekhe lion Er Chitkar... Uff Sojho Hoy Na (Vedo direction) 3. Bunip Dekte Rojotav Dutta Er Moto....Khub Baje Animation...... Ki J R Bolbo 4. R editing Tototai Baje, Specilly Oi lion Er Janalai Chapa Ta. Room Er Vitore Dev Er Ekrokom Pose, Baire Aber Onno Rokom....Editor Eta miss Korlen Ki Kore????? 5. Film Dekchi Na Africa tour-Er DVD Bojha Muskil. 6. Golpo Nai Kono, Sudhu Hati-Bagh-Pahar. Khub Mathai Lagchilo.......

Butt makeup & screenplay Darun, Sotti Darun. Bt film as a whole disapionting.

A masterpiece.....The adventure of a lifetime

[indranil419-194-6458 · 9/10 · 20 December 2013]

Mountains of The Moon is definitely one of the best movies to come out from Indian Subcontinent. The movie is a true gem and offers extensive detailing of African wildlife. The director has been completely true to the actual Novel (Chander Pahar by Bhibhuti Bhushan Bandhopadhyay). All the actors have done a fabulous job, special mention to DEV (the actor who played the role of Shankar, the lead protagonist). And then, there is the DOP that can be considered as one of the most exciting aspects of this film. Kudos to the tighter screenplay writing too. The budget was tighter, yet the makers shot it in a way that can make anyone proud. Those who love adventure should catch it up at least once... My ratings: 09/10

Spectacular Attempt

[sgupta001-817-774557 · 7/10 · 23 March 2014]

The movie is based on a novel written by a noted Bengali writer almost 100 years back. And the story still remains the main asset of this movie. It not only takes you through the visual marvels of the Dark Continent, but keeps you engrossed in a tale of adventure and thrill throughout.

Dev as the protagonist (Shankar) appears a miscast initially and in fact over-shadowed by Gerard Rudolf during major part of the movie. The acting was constipated, lacking natural reactions and expressions. But as the movie progresses, Dev evolves. Especially the sequences towards the ending have been carried out brilliantly.

The movie is high on production value. Well researched costumes, props, landscapes and use of CGI make it a visual delight, enough to make any filmmaker proud. In fact this movie costing less than 3 Million USD could easily parallel any international or Hollywood movie made on the same story. Hats off to the makers for that!

Overall a good movie to watch, 7/10.

Disappointing yet Influential Flick

[aritra-gswm · 3/10 · 26 December 2013]

'Chander Pahar' is arguably the most awaited films in recent times. It is produced by the biggest house, stars Dev, based on a widely popular novel and directed by Kamaleshwar Mukherjee. Definitely, it has all the elements to become an instant epic.

But to be honest it miserably fails. Let me clarify my point. The central theme of the novel is all about unprecedented wanderlust. The protagonist risks his life in hunt of a mythical treasure... in an unknown Africa. After succeeding in breaking the myth, Shankar refuses to take treasure. The story is all about the journey of Shankar and his wanderlust which surpasses human greed.

The film adaptation dilutes this central theme and emphasizes the subplots of survival stunts. The protagonist turns in to a sadist who risks and hunts for pleasure. The story about an extraordinary journey of life transforms into an average stunt-dependent action/adventure flick.

The director also appears to believe the audience gullible. He incorporates idiotic strategy of using unnecessary voiceovers throughout the film to explain simplistic incidents, which is indeed annoying.

Apart from all these short comings 'Chander Pahar' is a path breaking film in mainstream Bangla Cinema. This film breaks the myth of big budget Bangla Film implies 'remake of South Indian masala flick.' For sure this will be influential for mainstream Bangla Cinema.

Mountains of the Moon come to reel.

[alekhyadas · 8/10 · 24 December 2013]

Please visit - http://iamalekhya.blogspot.com

Mountains of the Moon come to reel. One of the best movies made lately. It is one of my favorite escapade hardback and I am really happy with its reel product The movie is a true gem and bids extensive detailing of African biota. Director adds some of his own accounts to the story which is something new, which could have been edited but still it doesn't matters to you in the end. You'll actually love it.

Acting: Dev has a done fabulous job. The character of Shankar is drawn very well by him. Especially the last 15 minutes, he has done his best till date. It seems that he was made for this role. Gérard Rudolf does a praiseworthy job, loved him as Diego Alvarez.

Direction: Salute to the director, Mr. Kamaleswar Mukherjee for being audacious to make such a movie. He is the one who bring to us Dev in an innovative way and makes Gerard Rudolf speak Bengali in a Portuguese accent.

Cinematography: Soumik Halder does it yet again. Every bit of scenes he captured, from the landscapes to the chased thing, he made us Teleport to Africa.

Sound: I liked the Background Score but it could have been better for such a paced film. The song at the end credits is too average.

VFX: The worst part of this delight. When they can spend such a big amount, they could have spent some more for the VFX. The computer generated Volcano was bad and the Buniyp was terrible.

Verdict: A Bengali movie is up over the moon with this production. They went directly to Africa which is truly a daring task to attempt. Kudos to that!! Make it a success for the entire Chander Pahar team, Go and watch it. It's a must watch one. 4.5/5 for sure!

A Game-Changer Bengali Film That Wll be Remembered Forever .

[pantharoy1990 · 6/10 · 23 December 2013]

(Contains No Spoiler)

Let me put it like this- Chander Pahar was going to be unlike anything we've seen in Bengali movies-that was evident from the grandiose trailer.But what amazes me is that director Kamaleswar Mukherjee,like his protagonist Shankar,takes a huge leap of faith,and takes us to a realm that we,the general Bengali movie-lovers have never ventured into.

Based upon the fabled Bangla novel 'Chander Pahar' by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay,it was a huge gamble the director was taking-as resource was clearly limited for filming this epic adventure in Bengali.No one really dared before Kamaleswar to direct this gem of a literary piece.With that,both the director and it's protagonist,the reigning Bengali superstar Dev,had the additional pressure to prove their mettle on different turf.Kamaleshwar,fresh from his critically acclaimed film 'Meghe Dhaka Tara',craves for box-office recognition,whereas Dev,the cynosure of the masses,longs for critics and detractors appreciation.

Personally,I was miles away from being a Dev aficionado.But after watching this film,I must admit that he's the person to look out for in the industry in the future.He's right bang on target from the first scene-his acting is matured,diction is fairly improved and he's at height of his physical fitness.No one had the physique,charisma or the charm to play Shankar like he did with aplomb.A little bit bit vulnerability in the emotional sequences,that's the only thing anyone can complain about him in the whole film.But hey,even the 'Aamirs','Shah Rukhs' or our very own 'Prosenjits' had their rough days on screen early in their career.

South African actor Gerard Rudolf shines as the magnetic Portuguese treasure-hunter,Diego Alvarez. He subtly complements Dev with his great screen presence & body language.But it was a bit annoying to see him (though the Chinsura- Portuguese background is made up) and the other foreign characters speaking in Bengali.Then again,it was a necessary call on behalf of the makers, as the common Bengali audience has neither the will to see a movie with subtitles in it,nor has the patience to sit through a movie which has half of its dialog in English.

Technically the film is on par with any Indian movie.And when I say this,I really mean any 'Hindi or Southern VFX laden flick'.It was really astonishing to see what they've achieved with a meagre $2.4 Million (Rs. 15 Crore) budget. Director of Photography Soumik Haldar,who can be considered as a path-breaker of sorts after weaving magic with his camera in 'Chaplin', 'Autograph', 'Baishe Srabon', 'Meghe Dhaka Tara', 'Mishawr Rahasya'-outdoes himself in this film.Man! His frames are scintillating!The beautiful African locales get truly glorified by his breathtaking lens-work. Music by Debjyoti Misra & Indradeep Das Gupta is apt,specially Misra.But either one of their talent is wasted,reasons best known to the makers.

Many a people might have grudges against the 'Bunyip'-but remember!That's how Bibhutibhusan himself had envisioned the creature. Yes,the VFX is faulty,then again,what could have been done with limited resources? The only objection I have with the film is that some sequences have serious continuity issues.Specially the erupting volcano scene-as for the VFX-it's not up to the mark in this one-but that's not the only thing that hurts.The impact of the scene is marred when the herd of animals suddenly appears in front of Shankar & Alvarez,and disappears within couple of blinks of an eye. In an earlier scene,after a 'creature' attacks Shankar,he has a bandage in his hand.But it wasn't answered 'why'! Not even cleared is the incident,when Tirumal praises our hero,as if he has killed another animal,when actually he has merely dodged it. Perhaps these are the things that could have been avoided if the post-productions weren't done haphazardly. Yes.The producers wanted to capitalize on the Christmas window for a better opening for this 'Cinema Grandé'-it's justified to a certain extent.But still it spoils the experience like a pinch of dirt in a delicate platter of delicacies.

Despite a few loopholes and shortcomings,I must say Kamaleshwar Mukherjee has done a commendable job to bring alive our favourite novel to life in Silver Screen.A certain portion here and there might have been skipped from the novel,but it's not really possible to incorporate everything in literary adaptation.Hat's off to him for his brilliant vision and indomitable courage-he certainly is the next auteur in making,after setting the standard such high for a Bengali Movie.If this film doesn't bridge the gap between commercial and so-called art/alternative films in our industry,I can vouch no other film would be able to do that in the next few years. Take My Bow- the whole 'Chander Pahar' team.

And to all my friends,who have the chance to see the movie in theatres,please go and watch 'Chander Pahar' ASAP, you will be mesmerised :)

An Above Average Movie

[sourin-bhattacharya · 5/10 · 29 December 2013]

The movie started off with a promising portrayal of African landscape and the way Shankar is introduced is smooth and serene. After he got into Africa, the initial experiences of him are effortlessly depicted and skillfully performed. But then, the stint of him as a stationmaster took so much time and Diego Alvarez's arrival was less effective on the perspectives of the film. Then they set out for their adventure. It is seen that the movie never got too much intense and the ups and downs were abrupt. The chemistry between Shankar and Alvarez did not work out and the plot was lost in trying to portray different events in a short span of time. The night shots were horrible as the shooting was done in clear daylight and the picture was shaded with blue to depict night scenes. The role of Bunyp is an absolute blunder. However, the final 20 minutes were attractive and Dev did well there. Overall, Dev didn't suit for the role of Shankar and missed too many fine moments.